Home Decor

If you don’t know by now, I’m quite the crafty girl. With a little imagination you can transform pieces into one of a kind items that look like they would be purchased at Pottery Barn! Each year, Christmas decorating can be expensive and overwhelming, but it trulydoes make your home feel so beautiful and festive which is therefore, worth the hassle. While some of it can be expensive, I’m here to tell you that this is NOT always the case. And there are so many different styles and ideas!! Head on over to Michaels or your nearest craft store and you can buy what you need for a great price (be sure to use that 50% off coupon they offer to buy the actual wreath, especially if you are buying a plain green one that you plan to spruce up). It’s all in how elaborate you want it to look. And the really great thing is that you can use it every year! So, let’s get inspired with some of my favorite pictures and then I’ll show you a simple step by step guide to making a festive ornament wreath! 🙂

I hope that was inspiring! I love all different kinds of decorations. We will learn how to make a new style each holiday season. For today, let’s zip through a quick tutorial on how to make a simple ornament wreath (the one pictured at the very top) for *dramatic pause* less than $20! Not only will you feel a sense of pride sharing that you made it, but you can also reuse it year after year! Now lets get started . . .

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1) Start by using a simple wooden wreath form.This wreath form was found at the Dollar Tree, but you can use all sorts of other wreath forms with great results (styrofoam or grapevine wreaths work too.) So, go forth and pick the wreath form of your choice. Just be sure that your wreath form has a big center opening. Usually the bigger the form, the prettier the wreath. So, once you have your wreath form…

2) First things first, you’re going to need a lot of ornaments. More than a hundred on this wreath. Go to the dollar store and get 6 tubes of ornaments (which gives about 75 ornaments in varying colors and that’s only $6). If you want, spray paint them whatever color scheme you want or simply use the colors as they come. Make this your own! If you love a certain color scheme, glitter, metallic, neutrals . . . whatever!! Make it fit you! Also, watch for after Christmas sales and get ones for dirt cheap for next year that can really be some pop pieces!!

3) Glue gun or super glue

4) Ribbon, to tie a beautiful bow on the top and hang it from a mirror or door (or you can purchase the pre-tied bows that are already perfect and gorgeous)

LET’S GET STARTED:

Step 1: Hot glue the ornaments around the inside of the wreath, with the tops of the ornaments facing up.

Step 2: Glue ornaments around the outside of the wreath, still with the tops facing up.

Step 3: Flip the entire thing over. You’re now looking at the front side of your wreath.

Step 4: Fill in the gaps, beginning with some of your large to medium ornaments.

Step 5: Finish filling in any gaps with your smallest ornaments.

At the end, I also glue a few small ornaments around the outer edge, which I think makes it look more unique and less like a bulbous donut.

After all of the ornaments were glued on, I attached a simple metal wreath hanger and tied a big bow at the top. I love all wreaths when hung in front of a pretty mirror, it looks so elegant and chic!

And that’s all there is to it, it’s truly so easy and it turns out SO pretty!

These bathrooms are retreats of beauty and peace, let them inspire you to decorate your home with little touches that can turn a room from plain to pretty. Notice all the small details — the glass jars that hold everyday items while making the space look polished and glamorous, fresh florals, candles, oversized mirrors, folded towels and glittering chandeliers — all creating beautiful ambiance and style. Albert Hadley once said, “Decorating is not making stage sets, it’s not about making pretty pictures for the magazines; it’s really about creating a quality of life, a beauty that nourishes the soul.” Fresh flowers, candlelight, bits of gold and a lovely lingering scent are daily inspirations that make life a little sweeter.

We all need our beauty sleep. A well rested face is the first key to looking fabulous, so anything you can do to make your nights more restful is a great start. A self-proclaimed sheet snob, I have done a lot of research on what makes sheets quality and luxurious. Diving into the sheet world was rather complicated at first, long-staple vs short staple, cross weave, fabric mixtures, etc… It was overwhelming. As I began to understand it better, I was able to start buying the best quality sheets at great values because I now understood what made a sheet set truly luxurious. Below are the basics in a very easy to understand language so that you too, can understand what to look for when shopping for quality sheets.

Is thread count that important?

Yes and no. Thread count is often used as the barometer of a sheets smoothness and durability. However, this measurement– which should refer to the number of threads woven into a square inch of fabric– isn’t always reliable. High thread count is a factor, but the type of fabric is much more significant.

What is the best fabric?

Cotton Cotton Cotton!!!! Any other fabric or mixture of fabrics aren’t breathable. Top of the line is 100 percent Egyptian cotton. Second best is 100 percent pima cotton, also known by the trade supima cotton. If a label says simply “100 percent cotton,” assume that it’s American upland cotton, a rough and less expensive variety (no good.) Egyptian cotton’s long fibers produce sheets that are thin and sumptuous yet extremely strong and long-lasting. (The shorter fibers in upland cotton, by contrast, can poke out of the weave, leading to coarse and weaker fabric.) Pima cotton is also soft and less likely to pill than upland cotton. You can find a good queen set of pima sheets for less than $200. If you want the best, you’ll invest about $200-500 in an Egyptian cotton set in percale or sateen — both clean, classic weaves.

What is the difference between percale and sateen? Which is better?

Neither. It’s a matter of taste. Percale is a plain matte weave that has a crisp cool feel, so it may be sensible for people who tend to get overheated when they sleep. Sateen is slightly heavier and very soft, with a lustrous, smooth finish that’s almost satiny — hence the name. If you’re not sure which fabric you prefer, look for fabric swatches on display for a touch test.

In conclusion:

— Egyptian cotton is the best, and cotton is the only fabric that you should consider when buying sheets. Fabric mixtures such as cotton and polyester or any other fabric besides cotton (no matter how soft it might feel) is going to be hot and unbreathable, a great example, satin sheets.

— Long staple weave is the best. Short staple is going to be rough to the touch.

— If you have 100 percent Egyptian or Supima cotton, then thread count can be as low as 400 and still be very luxurious, obviously the higher the count the softer the sheet. But remember, those 1000 thread count sheets that are American upland cotton are going to be rougher and less durable than a pair of 200 thread count long-staple cotton sheets.

I hope this makes the sheet buying process easier to understand and that you can wrap yourself in luxury, giving you the best beauty sleep possible.